Help for Minnesota logging businesses

Forest products manufacturing and related sectors contribute $9.7 billion in direct value and $3 billion in indirect value to Minnesota's economy. Logging businesses provide wood to mills for use in a variety of forest products, according to Charles Blinn and Matthew Russell, Extension forest resources specialists. But the closure of several mills within the state had industries concerned about the status of Minnesota timber. Blinn and Russell, along with industry partners, recently published the findings of a survey and outcomes from focus group sessions.

They authored "Minnesota's Logging Business: An Assessment of the Health and Viability of the Sector" (Forest Science, April 2015), noting that there are now fewer Minnesota loggers, with the trend of larger logging businesses harvesting most of the state's wood. They identified several ways that Minnesota logging businesses may need to modify their operations to stay competitive.